


Your Bars and Mine

by knightinpinkunderwear



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Dance, Ballet, Dancing, Domestic Bliss, Fluff, Forehead Kisses, Happy Ending, Kissing, M/M, Music, Piano, Romance, Short & Sweet, Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2020-03-25
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:54:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23304943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/knightinpinkunderwear/pseuds/knightinpinkunderwear
Summary: nymph11 on tumblr requested: Lucius and Ed at an elite ballet academy and Ed is the pianist and Lucius is one of the top performers(the title is a pun referring to both ballet bars and bars of music)
Relationships: Lucius Fox/Edward Nygma
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	Your Bars and Mine

**Author's Note:**

> I learned swing, merengue, and bachata this year before the craziness and I love the idea of social dances. I hope this is cute enough for you, I am always in the mood for fluff with these two.

The Ballet Academy in Bludhaven was prestigious. If Edward hadn’t had an awful family he might have had the chance to even audition as a dancing student. But his bones were relatively frail and try as he might, he could not build up the muscle mass needed for jumps or effective use of limbs. 

At least he had rhythm, he could east coast swing and participate in most social dances and probably even do a little tap, but ballet was out of his reach. But playing wasn’t. 

His long fingers and arms were actually helpful on the piano. (He’d tried guitar briefly, but did not like the pain of building callouses on his fingertips, and so many people had guitars…)

He could play the harpsichord too, that was a little more fun (maybe only because it was less common. 

So instead of a dancer at a prestigious dance academy, he found himself across the street in U of Bludhaven studying forensic science and music composition. With a nicely paying work-study allowing him to play for several sections of dance rehearsals and classes. 

Which is how he meets many handsome and lovely dancers, and what can he say? Edward has always liked the idea of a strong and graceful partner. 

But Lucius is something else. 

He’s nice, saying hello at the beginnings and thank you at the ends of lessons and rehearsals. Which isn’t too different from the rest of the dancers. 

But he does say more, and he asks things too. 

‘How are you?’s and ‘what are you studying?’ He is kind in such a simply genuine way. 

Lucius invites him to events without alcohol, and that is the difference-maker. 

Because its easier to go to a social event that won’t give him that uneasy pressure in his chest that the presence of alcohol always seems to do, maybe he’ll grow out of it. When his brain catches up to the fact that he’s free of his parents. Besides, beer smells awful regardless of whether it’s attached to trauma. (Even his roommate Kyle agrees on the distasteful nature of the smell). 

Lucius invites him to trivia night, and a Barbie-themed Halloween party, and then some more things. 

So he invites Lucius to a lecture on chemical properties of printer toner, karaoke night, and Kyle’s broomball final game. Then finally, salsa night at Ed’s favorite dance bar, where even the drinkers don’t smell too much like their drinks. 

“I didn’t know you could dance,” Lucius smiles. 

“Just cuz I’m not a super strong ballet prodigy doesn’t mean I can’t dance!” he finds himself replying smiling with mock offense. 

Lucius lets himself be led in a medium tempo salsa, one, two songs. No one tries to take a dance, they know the etiquette. There’s a code, a decency that everyone follows, which is precisely why Edward likes it here. 

He likes it here with Lucius even more. 

It’s thrilling like a crescendo, life and fondness welling up inside him and spilling out in his too-wide smile. 

He couldn’t stop if he wanted to. As breath-taking as Lucius is in his point shoes and unitard he’s so wonderful in this moment. 

In a dance he doesn’t quite have the hang of, grace and beauty still pouring from him like a fountain or small waterfall. It’s not an overwhelming rush, it’s controlled, tranquil and  _ gentle _ . 

A few things change with their interactions, Lucius greets him with a kiss on the forehead, one hand gently caressing and lifting his chin. And Edward feels like he’s glowing like a dancer in the spotlight, center stage. 

And Edward loves to say goodbye, holding one of Lucius’s hands a pressing a kiss or two to his sweaty knuckles. 

Kyle calls them out for being sappy, but only because they can retort, bring up the limericks he’s written for Carlos Alvarez in his criminal psych class. 

Lucius claims that his favorite way to perform is with Edward on the piano, stage left. And they become each other’s lucky charms, not because of concrete belief in luck, but for the suspicion that superstitions might not be as incorrect as others assume. 

Lucius learns of Ed’s past, and Edward learns of Lu’s. 

Lucius teaches Edward a little duet ballet, and Edward keeps bringing him to learn more social dances. (Merengue is best for silly fun). 

Edward finds that he doesn’t resent his body and inability to keep up with ballet, he finds it much more fun to be lifted and carried around by his ballerina anyway. 

And Lucius can finally play Chopsticks and Ode to Joy without mistakes. (His smile was so sweet and endearing). 

And they’ve definitely got rhythm, one might even call this rhythm love. 

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed dears.


End file.
